Category Archives: Europe

The government tot Greece is very upset at the German government. As you recall, during World War II, German troops occupied Greece and sort of wrecked things and killed people. According to newly elected PrimeM Minister Alexis Tsipras, Germany has a “moral responsibility to pay reparations to our people, to history,to all Europeans who fought and gave their blood against Nazis.” Fair enough:

1. The Greeks under Alexander the Great sort of killed a few people, burned a few towns and thus the people of Iran(formerly Persia) could use a few bucks in return.

2. As you recall, Alexander sort of went through Palestine and Egypt. As a Jew, I am owed a free vacation in Greece in return. Remember that moral obligation.

As you recall it was just over a decade ago when the American government led by the dynamic trio of Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld decided that our very survival as a country was threatened by the presence of
Weapons of Mass Destruction and the only road to peace was the road to war. This nation is now confronted by another possible war, and it has nothing to do with Muslims, and everything to do with terrorists. However, these terrorists are Christians, and they do sort of possess weapons of mass destruction. Separatists in Ukraine are moving into new areas, and behaving as an arm of Russian foreign policy. Senator John McCain and many members of Congress urge President Obama to send in weapons and get this war escalated. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is urging caution and now allowing the conflict to escalate. Most probably, President Obama is sort of confused about what to do.

Whether we like it or not, Soviet (oops, I mean, Russian) leader, Vladimir Putin wants a war. He has no idea how his Ukraine adventure could escalate into a war that might threaten peace in the world. Sorry, Ukraine might have to lose some land. However, the long term prospect is that Putin cannot continue allowing sanctions to be imposed without damaging the lives of Russians. Caution is the best policy. It might not get approval from Fox News, but such is life-and peace!

There is not a doubt in the world that Senator John McCain loves the USA, the American armed forces, and the right to bear arms not only in America but just about every other place in the world. He wants Congress to pass legislation that sends weapons of destruction to the forces of Ukraine. Yes, the government of Ukraine is under attack by Russia through its proxy “separatists” in Ukraine. Yes, Putin is just dying to show Europe it can not insult the man who is all powerful in Russia. Ukraine needs assistance, but it must be provided with care. Yes, Ukraine must be protected. But, the road to war has problems since Putin needs war in order to convince the people of Russia they are under attack and must allow him to save the nation.

1. Step one is to increase in severity economic sanctions against Russia.

2. There must be an embargo against any trade or economic interactions with Russia.

3. Ban travel to Russia.

Make the Russian economy suffer even more. In the meantime provide just enough weapons for Ukraine to defend itself. Avoid any all out war, too dangerous in the age of atomic weapons.

We inhabit a world in which the average person devotes his or her time during the day using a piece of technology in order to communicate with another person. The average person in America or England can not even eat a bite of food without grasping technology in hand and talking with someone else. On the other hand, governments now make certain that when you speak, they must know to whom you communicate and what is said during the conversation. The Investigating Powers Tribunal in London, is now charged with sharing data about what people in England say with US agencies. The English government is now charged with making certain that any and all conversations are known, not only to powers in the English government, but to those in the USA.

It is charged that the English government “contravened privacy and free speech provisions in the European Convention on Human Rights.” It acted illegally by sharing with the US government data and conversations in England. There is hope these charges will be presented to the European Court of Human Rights. Gee whiz, wouldn’t it be great if we Americans had a Court that dealt with our Rights. Oh, we do have the Supreme Court, but a majority on that body owe allegiance to the wealthy of America!

The issue of sending defensive weapons to Ukrainian forces now confronting well armed “separatists” as well as the so called, “Russian volunteers” has confronted the Obama administration with its current great challenge. Here are the arguments for and against:

AGAINST

1. If the US or NATO supplies weapons to Ukrainian forces, it will compel President Putin to dramatically increase the number of “volunteers” in Ukraine.

2. It raises the possibility of an armed clash between forces of the West with those of Russia.

3. It opens the door to the possibility of a nuclear encounter.

4. It provides Putin with an opportunity to depict himself as defending Russia against threatening enemies.

5. It might lead to destabilizing western Europe.

FOR

1. We would only be sending defensive weapons.

2. If Ukraine does not receive weapons it could be destroyed by Russian soldiers and the separatists.

The nation of Germany has never mentally recovered from the horror of Nazism. At least the vast majority of Germans can not forget that their nation murdered over thirty million people during World War II. Of those, the Holocaust consumed the lives of six million Jews. So, who is around today in modern Germany? The German National Democratic Party (NDP) has discovered a replacement for Jews-Muslims. Its leaders spout the same words of hate, violence and anger, but instead of their object being Jews, it is the presence of Muslims in their midst. A group of NDP members boarded a train in Germany on their way to a rally in southwest Germany only to discover they were on a train going in the opposite direction. There must be something symbolic in this fiasco–heading in the wrong direction. The mayor of Freidburg which was their destination simply commented: “We don’t feel their absence here.”

Yes, there are some Muslims in Germany seeking death and destruction. Yes, there are some Christians in Germany seeking death and destruction. At least the Muslim population does the dirty work of this society, but on the other hand, the NDP does the dirty comments of society.

I DO understand the hesitation of the Obama administration to send arms into the Middle East which might result in arming the wrong people. I do understand the decision to arm the government of Iraq in order to halt the spread of ISIS. I DO understand the hesitation in sending weapons into Syria. But, I simply do NOT understand the hesitation to arm the people of Ukraine who are fighting against forces that are supplied by the Soviet Union, oops apology, I meant Russia. There is no doubt that thousands of Russian soldiers are fighting alongside separatists and they posses modern weapons. So, why the hesitation to send guns and ammunition to the forces that defend Ukraine?

President Obama is now reconsidering his opposition to send such weapons. There is a chance weapons will be heading to Ukraine. The only questions is why the delay? These are the moments when one wonders about the leadership abilities of Barack Obama?

I have the sad duty to report that many Americans will no longer be able to travel to Russia and enjoy the sights and sounds of Moscow. The Russian government is very upset at the Obama administration for its vicious attacks on Russians who have been carrying out the orders of their great and wise Leader. Several years ago Sergei Magnitsky was murdered in Moscow while engaged in uncovering fraud in the Russian government. He allegedly has a heart attack while in prison for the crime of exposing graft and corruption in the government of Vladimir Putin. The American Congress passed the Magnitsky law which prevents those Russians who were part of the murder to enter the United States of America. In Putin Land, one does not challenge any action of the Great Leader without suffering some consequences.

The Russian Foreign Ministry is upset. “The latest extension of the US list of sanctioned people, put together on the basis of he anti-Russian Magnitsky law will not go unchallenged. And on the reciprocal basis the same number of US citizens have been prohibited from entering the territory of Russia.” Sorry, if you on the list, remain home and avoid Moscow. Such are the consequences of voting for Barack Obama!

The people of France and the world have yet to recover from the horror of Islamic terrorists who murdered some cartoonists who committed the horrible crime of drawing the “wrong” pictures, but events in France now make clear that Muslims have the capacity to control the politics of Christians and Jews in France. Latest polls reveal that the right wing Marine Le Pen’s party has risen to the point where she now threatens to become the largest political force in France. Who is Miss Le Pen? Her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen years ago was a fanatical anti-Semite who denied there ever was a Holocaust, and blamed any and all problems in his nation on immigrant from North Africa. He was generally regarded as a nuisance extremist who obtained about 5% of the vote of those who hate. His daughter has revised the party and now agrees there was a Holocaust. She even has reached out to French Jews arguing that Muslims ARE the enemy of their nation.

Marine Le Pen’s rise in polls simply reflects the power of hate in the modern world. Her supporters would go by the name of Tea Party in America. They argue that getting rid of immigrants IS the problem of modern times. Of course, those immigrants are the ones who do the dirty jobs of society. Hopefully, her surge in votes is temporary and sanity will return to the French people. Then again, we Americans continue to be insane by voting for Tea Party haters.

The country of Greece is a living example of what would have occurred in the United States of America if either John McCain or Mitt Romney had become President of the United States of America. The European Union has approached the problem of a recession by insisting that its members cut and cut and cut government services and pay off debts immediately. Greece owes billions and has been forced to devote its economic efforts to austerity actions. The result is a sharp decline in the economy, millions of people without jobs and a lack of decent services to meet the needs of those without. German leader Angela Merkel has warned the people of Greece they must pay their debts and should not elect anyone as a prime minister who fails to understand the primary need in Greece is to cut, cut expenses. Well, the people of Greece have defied warnings and elected Alexis Tsipras as their prime minister.

Mr. Tsipras has one goal in mind: give Greece a break, allow it to restore government services and reduce its debt payments. He wants to expand government services, get people back to work and hold off on austere measures until there is money in the pockets of the people. In other words, he wants the opposite of what Republicans demand in America, reduce government expenses and just allow our beloved wealthy folk to prosper and eventually the money will trickle down to those on the bottom. It has NOT happened in Greece anymore than it has happened in the US.

Anyway, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has promised not to wear a tie until he gets a debt reduction deal with the European Union!